


Small World

by jeweldancer



Series: Cas and Dean [14]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Destiel - Freeform, Fluff, M/M, Thanksgiving
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-12-19
Updated: 2015-12-19
Packaged: 2018-05-07 14:08:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5459219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/jeweldancer/pseuds/jeweldancer
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Cas is finally going to meet Bobby and Ellen at Thanksgiving dinner. He's nervous; what if they don't like him? Luckily, Dean is supportive and Bobby is full of surprises.</p><p>In other words, Thanksgiving fluff.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Small World

**Author's Note:**

> I know this one is a bit late for Thanksgiving, but I've had some family stuff going on and haven't had the time or the heart to work on this. The next one will be set at Christmas and will feature Cas's family. Thanks for reading, and let me know if you like it!
> 
> Also, if you like this series you might like "Christmas Angel", a fic I wrote for the Destiel Advent Calendar. You can find it here: http://archiveofourown.org/works/5447726

"Calm down, Cas." Dean looked over Cas's shoulder, watching him primp in front of the bathroom mirror. "You look great."

Cas straightened his tie and sighed. He had wanted to impress Dean's family, but now he was second-guessing his crisp royal blue button-down and navy necktie. Maybe it was too fancy. Maybe they would laugh at him behind his back. "Should I..."

"I'm cutting you off right there, man. You look fine, and besides, you have to help me peel potatoes. C'mon, get your butt to the kitchen."

Cas ran his hand through his hair one last time and followed Dean back down the hall. Being Dean's sous-chef did help pass the time. After Cas and Jess had peeled and chopped a mountain of potatoes and put them on to boil, Dean sent Cas to set the table. Sam, who was responsible for cleaning the rest of the apartment, gave Cas an encouraging smile from the living room.

"Doin' okay there, Cas?"

"Great," Cas told him, with more confidence than he felt. He made sure that the tablecloth fell evenly on all sides, and smoothed out all the wrinkles. He placed the plates directly in front of each chair, two inches from the edge of the table, and lined up the silverware perfectly perpendicular to the table edge. Last, he put the centerpiece he'd bought the previous evening in the middle. Cas hadn't known what to get, and had ended up asking the florist's advice. She had assured him that the chrysanthemums and daisies would be perfectly appropriate for Thanksgiving dinner.

Cas thought it looked very nice, but he didn't know if the others would like it. It was certainly different from the holiday table settings he remembered from his family's house. Gabe was allergic to flowers, so a floral centerpiece would never have happened; and his father had the curious idea that tablecloths were unsanitary. 

Jess slipped in from the kitchen. "Oh, Cas! It looks beautiful! Just like in a magazine."

Cas blushed slightly. "Thank you, Jess. Do you think it's okay?"

"It's perfect, Cas. Stop worrying."

When the doorbell rang, Cas slipped into the kitchen to avoid the flurry of greetings. He was much more comfortable meeting people one by one; getting introduced to a whole group of people at once always made him nervous. He busied himself by bringing out the apple and pecan pies they had made the day before. 

Dean understood, and waited until the exclamations and hugging had died down before bringing Bobby and Ellen into the kitchen. He went to Cas and put his arm around his shoulders before saying anything. "Bobby, Ellen, this is Castiel."

Cas loved the way Dean said his full name; like he was something important and precious. He gathered strength from Dean's touch and approached the other couple, his hand extended. "I'm happy to meet both of you, finally. Dean has told me a lot about you." 

Ellen had a no-nonsense look about her, but her eyes were soft and kind as she shook Cas's hand. She surprised Cas by immediately pulling him into a hug. He stiffened a bit but quickly relaxed into her embrace. He realized she reminded him a bit of his grandmother. 

"I'm glad to meet you too. I've never seen Dean as content as he's been for the past little bit." Ellen patted him gently on the back and then let him go.

Bobby was a big guy, the type Cas normally would've been nervous around, but he had a twinkle in his eye that betrayed his true personality. He gripped Cas's hand vigorously and beamed. "Good to meet you, son."

Before Cas could start getting nervous about what to say next, Ellen gestured toward a pyrex dish she had placed on the counter. "Dean says you're in charge of the table setting, Cas. Where should I put the sweet potato casserole?"

As Cas found the perfect spot for Ellen's casserole, she was swept up in a flurry of last-minute cooking by Dean and Jess. Sam got sent out to the corner store for ice. Cas wrung his hands anxiously. He didn't know what to do with himself.

"C'mon, Cas. Let's go in the living room and take a load off." Bobby ambled away to make himself comfortable on the couch.

"Oh. Shouldn't we help them? I feel bad sitting while they're cooking."

"Too many cooks spoil everything, son. We'll help with the dishwashing after. C'mon, take a seat."

Cas found himself sitting on the other end of the couch, watching a John Wayne movie in companionable silence. Bobby didn't seem to mind if he didn't talk much, and Castiel was grateful. At the second commercial break, Bobby cleared his throat.

"Heard ya'll had a run in with John a few weeks back."

"Um, yeah. He came for dinner. Well, sort of. He didn't stay long."

"Yeah, I know. Dean told me. You know, son, when I heard that story I knew we'd get along just fine. I only wish I coulda been there to see John's face." 

Cas grinned and looked down, picking at a loose thread on the couch cushion. "I didn't know that Dean told you about that." 

"I usually come by if I know that John's coming ahead of time. Just to kinda keep an eye on things. But with you around, I guess the boys don't need me as a protector anymore." 

Cas sneaked a look at Bobby and saw the twinkle in his eye. "I'm not anybody's protector. I can barely take care of myself." 

"Don't sell yourself short, kid. You know, Dean seems like he's got everything figured out, but it'll be good for him to have you around. He needs someone to look out for him."

"How do you know I can do that? You don't even know me." Cas straightened his necktie. It had been a stupid idea, it turned out. Bobby was wearing a flannel shirt and jeans.

"One, I'm a good judge of character. Twenty-five years owning your own business will do that to ya. Two, I know Dean, and he doesn't get attached to just anybody." Bobby stretched his arms above his head and yawned. "Third, you're Claire Novak's grandson, and she was a hell of a woman. If you're anything like her, you'll do fine."

Cas's mouth fell open. "Wait. You knew my grandmother?"

"Sure did. Loyal customer, ever since I opened my doors. I still remember her rolling in there in that old Lincoln Continental. She could have easily afforded a better car, but she never wanted one. Told me that she didn't need something fancy, as long as the Lincoln would still run."

Castiel nearly bounced in his seat. "Bobby! I drive that car now. Nobody else wanted it, and I couldn't bear to get rid of it."

"No shit! It's a small world." The commercial break ended, and a gunfight was taking place on the screen. Bobby reached for the remote and turned the sound down. "Well, you gotta bring her by the shop sometime. I remember her well. Your grandma would be pleased you've still got that car. She bragged about you a lot, you know."

"Oh, no. You must have me confused with my older brother. Gabriel. He's in LA, you know."

"Nah, I'm not confused. You're the artist of the family. I still remember how excited she was when you got the full college scholarship. You were her favorite, if it's not too bold for me to say."

Cas was too shocked to respond. He was lost in his thoughts and failed to hear Dean's approach from the kitchen. He leaned over the back of the sofa and touched Cas's shoulder.

"Hey, you two. Dinner's ready."

Cas looked up at him, and Dean took the opportunity to lean in a little closer and brush his lips over Cas's temple. The fact that Dean would do this right in front of Bobby, that he was so unashamed of Castiel and what they had together, made Cas's chest contract painfully. He had to remind himself to start breathing again, to put one foot in front of the other and follow Dean to the table. To eat generous helpings of all the food Dean had worked so hard to prepare, when Cas would have been satisfied only to be near him.

Later they all returned to the living room, stuffed with pie and ice cream, to watch the Christmas movie Jess and Sam had picked out. Castiel opened his arms to Dean, who smiled gratefully and nestled up against him, unembarrassed. Cas's heartbeat was pounding in his ears, and when Dean reached up to cup his face and pull him in for two soft kisses--because just one wasn't enough--Castiel felt his heart soar.


End file.
